gleason



(No Model.)

J. J. GLEASON.

AUTOMATIC BILLIARD REGISTER. No. 343,169. Patented June 8, 1886.

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UNITED STATES PATENT OFFICE.

AUTOMATIC BILLIARDi-REGISTER.

Application filed January 23, 1586. Serial No. 159,491.

To all whom it may concern.-

Beit known that I, JosErni J. GLEAsoN, a

citizen of the United States, and a resident of' New York, in the countyof New York and State ot' New York, have invented certain new and usefulImprovements in Automatic Registers, oi' which the following is aspecification.

My invention relates to an improved automatic register, the object beingto register and indicate the aggregate sum of a number of irregularintervals of time by means of electric circuits arranged in combinationwith a clocktrain and an electro-magnetic register. It is moreparticularly adapted for use in connection with a set or sets ofbilliard-balls, to charge up and register the amount of time duringwhich they are in use, or the amount in money due therefor. Arranged forthis latter purpose, it consists, as hereinafter more fully described,of a number of receptacles equal in number to the number of sets ofballs to be stored, in connecting with ageing clocktrain a contact makerand breaker connected within a series of electric circuits equal innumber to the number of sets of balls and adapted to make and break eachof the electric circuits at regular predetermined intervals; apush-contact within each circuit located so that theballsin eachreceptacle when in place will break one of the circuits, and anelectro-magnetic register having a step-by-step motion connected so asto be included in all ofthe circuits, so that it will respond to themakes and breaks in the several circuits caused by the circuit maker andbreaker driven by the clock-train. The number of makes and breaks causedby the clock-workin each circuit is made to correspond with the numberof units to be charged against each set of balls when in use or removedfrom their receptacles 'for a given length of time, and these units arecharged against the proper balls by the register, there being no chargemade against the sets of balls which are in place within theirreceptacle, by reason ofthe pushcontacts adjusted thereto being open andthe corresponding electric circuits through the register incomplete. v

In the accompanying drawings, Figure 1 is a front View of inyimprovedregister. Fig. 2 is a rear View of the saine.

Fig. 3 is a vertical` ATEON forming part of Letters Patent No. 343,169,datei 8, 1886,

(No model.)

section on .fvaoi'Fig l. FigAA isadiagram view ofthe ci rcuit maker andbreaker and its connections. Fig. 5 is a diagram illustrating theconstruction of the eleetromagnet register; and Fig. G is a perspectiveView ol one ofthe receptacles wit-hin which the billiard-balls arestored.

A is the frame or case oi' the machine, preferably made rectangular inshape, with an upwardly-projecting portion, A', at its rear end. lVithinthe frame A are iitted a number of receptacles, B B, preferably made ofsucha size and shape as that when a set of l'our billiard-balls areplaced therein they will lic in a row, and the rear ball will projectthrough an opening at the rear of the receptacle, as shown in Figs. 3and (3e-that is, in the form ot' a rectangular drawer closed in at thetop and having an opening through its rear end through which the rearball will project fora short distance, and au opening, Z), through itsside near the forward end through which the balls maybe removed.Aspring, b', is placed at the iront end of the drawer, to bear againstthe forward ball and hold the rear ball in its rearwardlyprojectingposition. I also prefer to make an opening, b, through the frontend ofthe drawer, through which can be seen the interior of the drawer whenthelatteris closed, and this opening l1 may be covered with a glassplate.

O is a clock-movement, and is geared to a circuit maker and breaker,preferably formed as illustrated in Figs. 3 and 4-thot is, having acylindrical drum, D, with insulating-'strips I set into its face.

E E E are insulated springs, made to bear upon the drum l), so that asthe drum is rotated by the clock-work the springs will bear alternatelyupon the metallic and the insulat ing portions of the drum. Theinsulatingstrips are so spaced and the springs are so adapted asthat'the're will at any given time be only one spring in contact withthe metallic portion of the drum, and the drum is geared to theclockwork so thatin agiren time*say onehour-there will be a given numberof c0ntacts-say fiftymade by each spring. Each of t-hese springs E iselectrically connected with an arm of a puslrcontact, F, so locatedbehind the receptacles B as that when the balls are in place and thereceptacles closed the IOO rearwardly-projecting ball will operate thepush-contact and open the circuit controlled thereby. The remaining armsof the contacts F are connected through a conductor, f, with one pole ofan electric battery, G. The remaining pole of the battery is connectedthrough an electric register, H, with the metallic portion of the drumD. Thislatter connection may be made through the frame-work of theclock.

rIhe electromagnetic register II may be of any of the Well-known kindswhich go by a Step-by-step movement and Will indicate the number ofmakes and breaks that have been made in the circuit; but I prefer theregister as shown in the diagram Fig. 5, wherein h h are parallelrotating shafts, one of which is actuated through a pawl-and-ratchetmovement by a pivoted armature, h, vibrating before aneleetro-1nagnet,h, connected in the electric' circuit. The second shaftis actuated through a peculiar shaped gearing by the first shaft, therebeing an annular disk, I, mounted upon the driving-shaft and havingasingle projecting tooth, i, thereon. A second disk, K, is mounted uponthe second or driven shaft,and has ten notches, k, cut into its edge.Each time the first disk is rotated its projecting pin t' engages one ofthe notches in the disk Kand moves it around far enough to bring thenext notch into gearing position. Ten revolutions of the iirst diskcauses one revolution of the second. Any number of these parallel shaftsmay be so geared together in series, and if the impulses or movements ofthe iirst shaft represent the unit to be registered the movement of theseveral shafts will represent tens and hundreds of such units. To makethe movements of these registering-shafts visible and to permit theregister of their movements to be taken at any time, a polygonalshapedblock, Z, having ten sides, is mounted on each shaft, and the ten facesare numbered from 0 to 9.

The operation of my device is as follows: The clock being put in motionand the balls being all in position, the several circuits will be open,and there will be no movement of the register. Il, now, one of the setsof balls be removed for use, the push-contact behind that particularreceptacle will be closed, and the contacts made by the spring E in thatparticular circuit will operate the register, giving one movement to therst wheel of the register for each make and break in the circuit. Ifthere are fifty makes and breaks in the circuit each hour, there will befifty units registered. Suppose, now, a second set of balls are removed,a second circuit will be completed, and there will be double the numberof makes and breaks in the circuit and a double number of unitsregistered.

I do not contemplate restricting myself to the special construction ofthe circuit maker and breaker shown, nor to the form of electro-magneticregister, nor do I conne myself to the special form lof receptacle usedfor the balls.

l. The combination, with one or more receptacles for billiard balls andwith a going clock-train, of an electric circuit for each receptacle, acircuit maker and breaker in each circuit operated by the clockmechanism to make and break said circuit at regular predeterminedintervals, an electro-magnetic register connected in all the circuits toregister the total number of makes and breaks in all the circuits, and aspring-contact connected in each circuit in position to be operated byballs in the receptacle to break the particular circuit Within which itis connected, all as and for the purpose set forth.

2. The combination, with one or more receptacles for billiard-balls, ofan electric circuit for each such receptacle, a springconi tact in eachcircuit to be operated by the balls within its corresponding receptacle,a circuit maker and breaker to make and break all the circuits atregular predetermined intervals of time, a clock-train to drive saidcircuit maker and breaker, and an electro-magnetic register connected incommon With all the circuits, all as and for the purpose set forth.

3. In a machine for measuring and registering the aggregate sum ofvarying periods of time, the combination, With one or more electrie'circuits and a switch in each'of said circuits, the latter adapted tobe closed automatically at the beginning of the period of time to beregistered by that particular circuit and opened at the termination ofthat time, a circuit maker and breaker, a clock mechanism to drive saidcircuit maker and breaker to make and break all the circuits at regularpredeterminedintervals of time, and an electro-magnetic register forregistering and indicating the aggregate number of such makes and breaksas have been made in all of the circuits Which have been closed Whilethey have been so closed.

4. In an electro-magnetic time-register, the combination, with a goingclock-train, of a circuit maker and breaker' driven by said clocktrain,one or more electric circuits, an electro-magnetic register connected inall such circuits, one or more receptacles, each governing one of saidcircuits, and a switch mechanism for each of said receptacles, allarranged as and for the purpose set forth.

Signed at New York, in the county of N ew York and State of New York,this 20th day of January, A. D. 1886.

JOSEPH J. GLEASON.

Ti tnesses:

JACOB FELBEL, ANDREW W. STEIGER.

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